Field of the Present Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a novel polymer, a hydrogel including the polymer, and a method for producing the hydrogel, and more specifically, to a novel stimulus-responsive polymer, a hydrogel including the polymer, and a method for producing the hydrogel.
A drug delivery system (DDS) may refer to a system to adjust a discharge rate of a drug or deliver a drug to a target position effectively. This may minimize a side effect of a drug or maximize an efficacy thereof. However, a single-time delivery of a large amount of a drug may lead to a side effect. Therefore, recently, a controlled drug delivery system receives attention. The controlled drug delivery system not only adjusts a drug amount reliably but also improves a lasting effect of a short-term functioning effect or reduce a side effect thereof.
The controlled drug delivery system has a stimulus-responsive smart polymer as a carrier, which may response to an external change. Among other things, a stimulus-responsive hydrogel may be employed in a bio-medical field, for example, as a carrier for a controlled drug discharge, a bio-medical sensor, or actuators, etc. Further, the stimulus-responsive hydrogel may be employed in a cosmetics field, to discharge a skin nutrient component in a controlled way or to keep a moisture on a skin. Further, the stimulus-responsive hydrogel absorbs or removes heavy metals for water purification.